BVRLA Member Outlook

Leasing companies need to be “alive to the changing sands” of the market during 2022 so they can respond to emerging challenges and changes, according to industry leaders. There is a positive outlook for the year, but with an element of caution based on the ongoing pandemic and the disruption it has caused to production, supply chains and pricing. Leasing leaders talk of extensive order banks and the struggle to meet demand, with delivery schedules stretching well into this year as manufacturer efforts to ramp up production are hampered by a lack of materials, particularly semi-conductors. Where cars and vans are in short supply, it changes the balance of power between supplier and buyer, with increasing prices and reduced discounts, which is likely to feed into higher leasing rates for customers. So, with difficult discussions about delayed deliveries, higher rates and potentially less choice, customer engagement will be critical in the coming months. One leasing executive talks of “triaging everything” to deliver the best outcome for the customer. While drivers may want to wait for a particular brand, others will be prepared to switch to an equivalent model that is more readily available from another manufacturer, potentially for a shorter leasing term until order banks are fulfilled. In other cases, contract extensions enable customers to wait for a particular vehicle and allow leasing companies to retain customer loyalty. Executives also refer to forward ordering product to secure inventory. For the short-term, the focus will be on securing growth where possible and keeping customers mobile through engagement and “meaningful conversations” about their needs. The strong order banks will support steady growth, with the fleet expected to expand by 2% year-on-year by the end of Q3 2022. As manufacturers are global supply chain specialists who are “adaptable, resilient and creative”, issues will be resolved and volumes will recover, “possibly quicker than expected”, in which case discussions about pricing and discounts are likely to be hastily reconvened. However, as one executive said, leased cars have been “unfeasibly good value” in the years leading up to the crisis, so it remains to be seen whether inflationary pressures mean higher rates remain in the long-term. Leasing executives are assessing where electric vehicles fit into this changing dynamic. By Q3 2022, the BEV and PHEV car fleet is likely to be bigger than diesel, which slumped below petrol for the first time in decades during Q3 2021. Although the sudden reduction in government grants is unwelcome, it is more harmful to the fledgling electric van market than cars, where fleet demand will continue to be underpinned by benefit-in-kind tax incentives that give plug-in models an advantage compared to internal combustion engined vehicles.

CARS 1,491,456 1,488,521 1,451,803 1,364,848 1,371,425 1,399,000 2%

VANS 399,134 405,432 416,077 420,520 464,056 478,000 3%

TOTAL 1,890,590 1,893,953 1,867,880 1,785,368 1,835,481 1,877,000 2%

* Based on forecasts from seven BVRLA members. Total sample 680,000 vehicles. Fleet size forecast data rounded to nearest 1,000.

Car fleet forecast by fuel type

Diesel 74% 70% 59% 49% 35% 479,999 422,000 -12% Petrol 20% 24% 33% 34% 37% 507,427 502,000 -1% BEV 0.1% 0.3% 0.7% 3% 10% 137,143 210,000 53% PHEV 2.8% 4.6% 5.5% 5% 11% 150,857 211,000 40% Other 3% 1% 2% 9% 8% 96,000 54,000 -44%

Leasing companies expect that the BVRLA pure electric car fleet will continue to grow rapidly; by the end of Q3 2022, it is predicted to be equal in size to the PHEV fleet. The combined plug-in car fleet could also be larger than diesel by this point. BCH will continue to be the driving force of EV fleet volume growth, with 57% of new orders accounted for by BEVs and PHEVs, compared to 17% for PCH, while 82% of new car orders through salary sacrifice are for plug-in vehicles because it is such a tax efficient method of vehicle provision. As one executive said: “Companies are actively seeking to get on board the EV agenda. Salary sacrifice and EVs provide a green choice that offers a hugely effective discount on the car.” Some also predict that demand for plug-in vehicles will grow rapidly in the PCH market. One leasing executive says demand doubled in the final quarter of 2021 and grew from 7% to 23% of personal leasing orders during last year. The overall PCH market provides the greatest opportunity for growth, according to leasing executives, with the BVRLA PCH fleet expected to expand more than 11% year-on-year by Q3 2022, adding more than 35,000 vehicles, compared to just 2,000 for BCH, which is predicted to grow by 0.2%. There is also ongoing debate about where growth will come from. For example, the PCP sector is viewed by some providers as a rich hunting ground where they can win converts to the benefits of PCH. This growth will continue a change in the balance of the BCH and PCH fleet, with business leasing falling to 68% share of their combined volume in the third quarter, while PCH takes 32%. There has been a rapid change between the two forms of funding; as recently as 2017, BCH represented 84% share of the two funding options. Overall, the leasing sector is a market where customers expect certainty and familiarity, but also innovation and fresh thinking; where a list of great ideas is essential to securing a seat at the negotiating table, even if the winning supplier is likely to end up providing standard leases for years to come. “The job is a lot harder now to deliver less than we might want, but we have to be more consultative and help customers answer their key questions,” one executive said, adding: “We are having more meaningful conversations with customers to help them as challenges emerge.” This strategic approach will be increasingly valuable as growing numbers of customers face significant strategic decisions about their fleet as the government’s 2030 deadline for new car electrification looms. Industry research indicates most fleet managers in SMEs have yet to start preparing for change, while thousands of businesses are uncertain about costs, charging infrastructure and driver management. This “knowledge gap” presents a ready-made market for leasing companies in 2022 to share their expertise and guide businesses to a more efficient future fleet.

Fuel share by funding method Business contract hire

BCH 929,962 913,563 863,500 770,856 750,196 752,000 0.2% PCH 180,641 226,812 265,854 276,353 323,982 360,000 11.1% TOTAL 1,110,603 1,140,375 1,129,354 1,047,209 1,074,178 1,112,000 3.5% BCH 84% 80% 76% 74% 70% 68%

PCH 16% 20% 24% 26% 30% 32%